I have this deep unquenchable passion for parenting not because I feel like I do it so well but simply because since the birth of my first child my life has never been more changed in a moment-by-moment way.
I have laughed harder then I have ever in my life and I have cried harder too.
I have learned things about myself that I never knew existed.
I have patience that last a lifetime and then in a split second that patience’s is gone and I have anger that stirs in me a powerful scary feeling.
I guess the thing that draws me to mom issues or parenting issues is that it has been the one thing that I have been determined to never presume I have the answers to anything but always willing to ask the questions to find the best possible path and to be available to my children. I have done more soul searching since becoming a mom and find often it is me who has to do the changing and growing before I can ask it of my children.
Parenting comes in so many stages too. All of which are exhausting on there own, but you add more then one child at a different stage then look out!
I can’t ever imagine not having this task of parenting and hesitantly wait for the day that they are all grown, and have children of there own so that they might experience this expression called parenting.
I have so much to be thankful for in my life and most certainly my children are much of what I have to be thankful for.

It's all in how you look at it.

So over the past few days I have spent time pondering over the
Oh so many things that make be happy.

Rereading the list I have already posted and thinking... hmm, what if I got all those things?
All the time.
Would they bring as much joy and happiness as they do now?
Maybe, probably ...I don't know...
I have so much of what I need everyday to survive not only in the physical perspective but in the emotional and spiritual aspect too.
I am free to eat when and where I want pretty much anytime of any day.
I can call, email, text, drive over to a friends house whenever I like.
I have access to over ten bibles just in my house alone. There are too many churches in the city I live in to count. All of which I can go to freely without harm.
The abundance to what you have is beyond what you need.
So is it wrong to make a list of the things that truly bring you joy?
No.
I think it has been helpful for me in keeping my perspective on the things that I need versus what I want.
And what I want is to bring honor and glory to my savior whom I love and have come to know that He delights in fulfilling my list not just for my birthday but for my life.

Proverbs30: 7-9
"Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say,
"Who is the Lord?"
Or may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Happy Birthday!

OK so it is 4 months and 11 days until I turn the big "40"

So I thought I would start celebrating now by sharing with everyone what makes me smile and look forward to another year older.

I have an amazing savior who loves me all the time !

My husband is hot and he works so hard and loves his family.

Those little gifts from God that I am so privileged to call my children.

A rock steady group of girls that I can call my "village peeps" and my

more then I deserve friends stretching as far as D.C. to Ill. , Co, NV,TX,El Salvador,WA., and the good old Ca. My friends are outstanding.

My savior and my family and my friends have continued to grow me and teach me so much over the years that as 40 approaches I can't wait to see what else I will savor and treasure like I have already.

I am not sure of what the future holds for me but I try hard to not dwell on that but live fully for the day that I have been given.

Loving and learning from the people that I have been blessed with and the things that I get to do.

40 is just a number but today is an opportunity to make a difference.

Here is a list of things that I cherish and enjoy

a smile

kind word

clean house

a good cup of coffee

friends

the wind

a good book

an incredible ocean

laughing with friends

crying with friends

alone time

music

my husband

trader Joe's

well really any grocery store

cooking

running

swimming

watching Luke play soccer

listening to Ryan share his knowledge

my mom

faith

Brookelynn swimming

my village peeps

babies

my family

cooking for others

hanging with Leandra

I could go on and on but my heart swells with such satisfaction in knowing that those are the things that I treasure and I have had the opportunity to enjoy all of them at some time or another.

May we all count are blessings and share some with someone else.

Everyone has birthdays I think we should not just celebrate the one day but everyday so we never forget how great a gift we have been given.

Happy Birthday!

You know it's someones birthday today.

Too many words not enough listening..

Lately I have done some reading on the power of words. I have gone through several articles, other blogs, and scripture.
I have been reminded of life lessons I have had to learn the hard way and reminded of illustrations.
Like : If you were to take a tube of tooth paste and squeeze it and have way to much come out , would you be able to put it back to the way it was?
No ,once the paste is out it is impossible to restore to its original form. So is the case with unkind inappropriate words, slander, profanity,etc.
Once it's been said, once it's out there there is no returning the victim to their original form.
What if its a nickname, a friendly banter of jokes? What if you believe the words you have chosen to speak are for the persons own good?
I'm sure there are cases where someones nickname has great comfort and joy. Or jokes among long time friends and family are acceptable.
I'm also sure that I have felt justified in the words I spoke on someones behalf, but with that said I am also that much more sure that I was wrong and I was hurtful and needed to seek much forgiveness.
So whats a person to do when the words we speak or think can be painful ,taken the wrong way or just left out there to be dissected?
The world shows us that we can justify our choice of words based on, what the situation was when we spoke the words, or spin it to show it was taken out of context or provoked by the other person.
How sad.
I struggle with what words to speak daily, and with the world working against me I fear even more for my kids and what must go through there minds on whats right and whats wrong.
Everyone can find justification for the things they say; bad day, headache, just got yelled at by some else, whatever we want I'm sure we could use it to get out of the truth and the truth is that we have to be responsible for the things we say.
The good the bad and the ugly.
We have a place to go for examples of how we can attain words worthy to be heard.
Where the WORD is true and just and powerful enough to change this spirit of mine.
I hope today I am given the chance to listen more and speak less.
The chance to encourage and lift up the people in my life.

Eph:4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

First days and jitters.

I watched my children run to the gate to find there names and see their teacher's name.
One returned with satisfaction the other returned not knowing what the papers said.
She needed my help to read and find her name.
With the last name of Wesselhoff it was easy, go to the end of the lists and there you are.
I knew that my oldest child was a theater major but little did I know that she had been
secretly training her little sister.
Because without warning she broke out into the most dramatic and sorrowful rant about her teacher and friends or lack there of.
And just when I thought we would need some serious intervention it was over.
The first day of school came and went and well, it came and went without so much as hiccup of what was thought to be the worst thing that has ever happen to her.
So now we are back to the day in and day out of schedules ,routines and homework assignments.
The long days of who is and who isn't friends or dating anymore.
Where are the favorite shoes, shirts, socks, or possibly underwear.
The whys , the how comes and that is so not fair.
Bedtimes, wake up times, and definitely shower time...
The ever popular " no I don't have any homework" " oh really ?" argument.
Packing lunches, remembering to brush their teeth's, hair and whatever else they might need to do before they leave.
Finding a place to do the homework that they don't have: even though they all have their own desks.
Not to mention, the proverbial, laundry, cleaning, Dr. apt., dentist apt. planning dinner, pick ups, drop offs, go to that practice, to that friends house, bible study and what nots of the day in the life of moms and kids alike across the world.
So when you find yourself looking for the one shoe, the perfect hair bow, even the backpack , take a deep breath and no that your not alone.
Somewhere out there someone else is also looking.

Summer time!

As

summer goes around this old house we find ourselves as parents enjoy the accomplishments of our children.

All four successfully completed the first year of; college, Jr high, fourth grade and kindergarten.

All four are looking forward to the upcoming wedding of their aunt in Chicago.

The college girl traveled to and from New York successfully. She attended a conference, saw the sights, and tasted some treats.

Our Jr. Higher played on a tournament soccer team and played several rounds of soccer. Thankfully finishing just in time before the summer heat wave took over.

The last two are in over the heads in a good way with the local swim team. They have competed in two swim meets already and both have already exceeded last years records for themselves.

As far as the old man and myself we sit up at night and share some good laughs, some deep sighs of relief and many many praises for all the blessings the Lord has granted us for the day He gave us.

May we all cherish our times this summer and make the most of what God has given us.

Happy Summer!

And all the bricks came tumbling down.

This afternoon I was doing some reading in one of the many books I am working on and
I came across a section on humility.
I have heard the word on a regular basis for several years now, but for some reason today I feel my eyes were wide open to see it from a new perspective.
How do I practice humility in my house?
With my husband, my children, my friends and others I come across?
Do I even practice humility?
So I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some research on my heart.
And I started to wonder what my house, my home would look like if humility was really practiced.
After much reading and searching it seems to me that the key to all relationships is humility.
In 1 Peter 5:5-6 we see that god opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
And in Job scripture honors him as a perfect and upright man but Job sees himself so differently in Job 42:6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.
In Isaiah we learn he was a great prophet of the Lord and yet when in the Lords presence his response was as such Isaiah6:5 “woe to me!” I cried “ I am ruined For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King.
Daniel was admired for his courage and convictions and his dedication to God but here too his response was on his face. Daniel 10:8-9
I could go on and on with so many examples of godly men and women in the bible whose response you would not think or expect to be that of such profound humility, but there they are clear and concise.
So why is it then today that I was so moved by what seems to be such an obvious concept yet so few times it is practiced.
I don’t know.
All I know is that I need to learn more about what it means to love humility as a great character trait and not as something I need to add to a check list of duties.
I will end with one of my favorite verses.
Micah 6:8 He has showed you , O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you ? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly, with your God.